These Robotics Hobbyists Built A Real-Life Transformer!

Transformers. They are a childhood treasure that have, unfortunately, been dragged through the mud by Michael Bay's latest exploits in recent years. But let's not forget that, back in the day, these robots in disguise were essentially the coolest thing any kid could own. Thankfully, a group of Japanese robotics hobbyists have been working hard to remind us all just why we loved Transformers so much. The video below is an update from Kenji Ishida and Wataru Yoshizaki of Brave Robotics who want to share the fact that they have constructed a fully-functioning, real-life Transformer.

Standing an impressive 4ft tall, the transformer, named J-deite Quarter, is able to automatically transform from its upright humanoid form, into a sports car. Sure, the motion isn't quite as swift as we're used to from the cartoons or the movies, but this is still pretty mindblowing. When in his humanoid form, J-deite Quarter is able to walk at a pace of around 0.5mph. In his vehicular form, the transformers top speed is around 6mph. Again, this is a far cry from the likes of Bumblebee and Starscream, but the fact that this thing can move in both forms is remarkable.

Ishida and Wataru started this project by creating a small, table-top version of the transformer. As mentioned before, this latest iteration is a little over 4ft (1.3m) in length/height, but their ultimate goal is far more impressive. By the end of 2015, Ishida and Wataru hope to have completed work on a massive 8ft version of their Transformer. Between this and the massive 60ft (18m) Gundam, it's safe to say the future is going to look a lot like you imagined it to be as a kid.